Method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof.



No. 863,061. PATENTED AUGP13, 1907.

T. GRLSWOLD, JR.

METHOD OF SEPARATING THE Mo E SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTS OF A MATERIAL FROM THE LESS SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTS THEREOF.

APPLICATION ILED JAN.12, 1907.

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110,863,051. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

T. GHISWQLD, '51:.

METHOD OF'SEPAEATING THE MORE SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTSOF A MATERIAL FROM THE LESS SOLUBLE OONSTITUBNTS THEREOF.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1907. v

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8 1 PATBNTBD-AUG.13,'1907J -T.GRISW0LD,JR.

METHOD OF SEPARATING THE MORE SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTS OF A MATERIAI. FROM THE LESS SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTS'THBREOP.

APPLICATION TILED JAN-12. 1907.

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No. 863,061. 'PATENTED AUG. 18,1907.

T. GRISWOLD, JR. METHOD OP SEPARATING THE MORE SOLUBLE OONSTITUENTS OF A MATERIAL FROM THE LESS SOLUBLE GONSTITUENTS THEREOP.

- APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 12. 1907.

A SHEETS-SHEET Ewen/tar,

' I 110 all whom it may concern THOMAS COMPANY, LIMITED, or

esrsWoLnJn, or'MInLANn MroHIeAN, AssIeNoa Tov THE-ONTARIO NICKEL WORTHIVNGTON, CANADA, A CORPORATION.

METHOD onsEPA ATmG mun MoitE- soLUBLE eoissrrrunms on -A MATERIAL FROM No; seaoei.

Be it known that I, Trrouas Gmswonn, Jraa citizen of the UnitedStates, arid-a resident of Midland, county 'of Midland, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Separating the MoreSoluble Oonstitueirtsjoi a Materialfromthe LessSoluble-Constituents Thereof, of which the following is'a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which ,I

have contemplated applying that principle so as to dis-- tinguish from other inventions.

" This, my'present application, comprises'subject matte'rdivided out of my pending application, means for se aratingthe more soluble constituentsof a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, filed January "17, 1906, Serial No. 296,552, and, together withsuch pending application, relates to, the art of separating the more readily soluble constituents of materials from their less readily soluble or insoluble constituents-by the process'of washing, and is particularly adapted tothe treatment of flocculent precipitates, slimes, pulps,

'muds, sediments, and the like, the treatment of which constitutesan important feature of many industrial 1 processes. It is also adapted to'the washing'of ties-and mother liquors out of crude products, the extraction of metals or the salts of metals from their ores,

the extraction of sugars; extracts, colors, dyes, and the alike. The object of such washingis usually to dissolve T or take up, by means of a fluid solvent or wash, the soluble matter or values contained in the material being treated, and to thereby separate these soluble values --from the less soluble material or insoluble material,

sediment, or'sludge and from the inso1ublematter that remains therein. By the term 'Values is meant the substances to be recovered or, in some processes the impurities to be eliminated. These valnes may be capable of solution in'a solvent, and, in

that case, the separation would be based upon that s0lvalues may be capable of separation ubility; or, the from the other constituents of thematerial being treated by reason of their ca pacity to remain mechanically suspended for some trlne in afluid medium, similarly to the separation ofslimes in ordinary water gigs.

It will be seen from the further description of my invention that the capacity of any single constituent or several c'onstituents to remain mechanicallysuspended for some time in a fluid'medi'um is equivalent, insofar as the separation from the other constituents is concegied, to that constituents entering intosolution.

' lisan example of the washing process referred to, take a casein which it is besired to remove iron from an aque? ous solution in which is exists as a soluble salt in con.

junction' with v soluble salts of other metals incapable of piec ipitation by the reagent which is used to precipi- I Specification of Letters Patent; Originalapplioation filedl'anuarytl'l, 1905, Serial No. 296,552- Dividedand this applieation filed January 12, 907; Serial No. 351.939.

remove the colloids.-

" rnn nn'ss SOLUBLE consrrrnnms-rnsnnor'.

latented AugIlS, 1907.

' tate the iron, such a saltbeing, for example, sodium ehlorid. I The ironmay be precipitated by the addition of a proper proportion of an' alkaline carbonate'or hydrate, and, after agitation and settling, the floc culent iron precipitate will subside as a pulp or sludge and the clear solution of-a part of the unprecipitated metals remain overv it. This' separation, although quite distinct, is a very slow one, is more dependent upon'the area of the separating chamberthan upon its depth, and the pulp cannot be settled to a concentrated form in any reasonable length of time, nor in any reasonable amount of apparatus. The pulp, moreover, contains a low percentage of iron and also contains'a. correspondingly high percentage of water. The values remaining in solution in the pulp may be reduced by dilution with more water, agitation and resettling. Repeated washings, settlings and decantations will ultimately extract practically all the soluble values in the pulp, but in very much diluted solution, and at the expense of much solvent, although weak wash water maybe systematically increased in strength, as ordinarily practiced, by being used with pulps of ively increasing percentage of values.-

"Thetreatment of large quantitiesof materialszby the above method requires the use of many large'chanibers I provided with stirring devices and power to, drive them,

a progressand the tying up of a large money investment in mate-- rial in process, and, consequently,- this progressive treatment cannot be utilized tothe fullest extent because of a commerciallyprohibitive complication of ap Y I paratus and supervision. I

Some pulps are easily treated by filtration, leaching, settlement and decantation, or other processesi Some are of a colloidal nature and filtration'willnot readily Y Others will clog a-filter 50011 that filtration is impracticable.

My invention is especially. adapted to treat rapidly; and efliciently'those slimes'or pulps which, havinga slow rate of settling, make separationbysettlement and decantation, as ordinarily practiced, veryslow, and which are not adapted to economical treatment by filtration or leaching. t I i The invention aims toaccomplish the separations above outlined, or, by suitable adaptation, to accomplish such separations as are required in otherin ddstries, as, for instance, the recovery of cyanid of gold from slimes.

- The object. of my present, invention is to' wash the i pulp andto then remove and wash the resulting sludge,

these washing and separating operations being autii- A matically repeated any desired number of times; and,-

nomical and efficient manner.

.105 further, to accomplish these results ina-rapid, e'co-z paratus and machinery, to remove the values, in pulps, elimes, etc. to as full an extent as may be deer. to reduce to a low sum the investment tied up n" terial in process, and to extract the soluble n concentrated a form as possible, thereby hug the quantity oi solvent or wash-water required, and the tankage necessary to hold the extract-' ed values. This latter improvement, viz. that of extracting the values in as Concentrated a form as '16 ibis andthereby reducing the tankage, will be found to he a very important part of nryinvention.

in this invention, in effect, a solvent or washing nd is caused to traverse in one direction through a is simultaneously caused to traverse in the opdirection through the same series. The sludge repeatedly washed, settled and ref-Washed Lvent oi progressively increasing solvent power and 'ng a decreasing burden of"values until, when merged at the end of such series of steps the sludge i practically deprived of soluble values. The arra-ige neut is such that the solvent entering the series l used to wash sludge that-has been deprived of all its soluble values. Such partly charged g s is somewhat stronger in soluble the previous one. The effect on the iresh solvent is to successively add to it quantities of soluble values until, when the solvent leaves the series, it is highly charged with these values. I

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one modeof carrying out the invention, such disclosed mode, however, constituting but one of various ways in whichthe principle of the i invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of an approved form of apparatus adaptedto the carrying out of my method. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figs. '1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus for dipping thefiuid or semi-fluid sludge from one chamber-cons partment to another, the dipping vessel being shown in its lilting position. Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the vessel in its discharging position. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a perspective of a part of the washing apparatus in which, "for the sake of clearness, the stirring devices are omit ted. This figure shows the means of operating the .dippers."

The apparatus shown in the aforesaid figures consists in a series of settling chambers, the consecutive members of the'series being connejctedtogether by pipes or conduits, there being interposed in the length of eachponduit a suitable mixing apparatus for mixing the sediment or-sludge taken from the bottom of one settling chamberwith the solvent'solution drawn from the top of that settling chamber which is two removed from the one from which th'escdiment was taken. It

needs scarcely bestated that the particular form of mixing chambers is immaterial. Thus; while they are shown built separately and connected by pipes to the as an integralpart of the settling chambers, in which '=.s of dis-solving or washin o veration's and ul orcase the pipes or conduits could be replaced by openings in the partition walls.

In generaL the method of operation is as follows: The pulp or. other material to be treated is admitted to the first mixing chamber of the series Where solvent that contains a large percent of soluble values is added to it. The mixture of pulp and solvent thus formed is settled in the first settling chamber of the series, the effect oi'settling being to separate the mixture into a sludge weaker in soluble values than the original pulp, and a solvent more heavily charged with soluble. values than before. The heavily charged, solvent is discharged from the apparatus and then the sludge that remains is passed to thenext mixing chamber, where it is again mixed with solvent weaker in soluble values than the solvent employed in thefirst mixing a'nt sludge deprived of practically all of its soluble values is discharged anthe end of the series.

In the drawings F is avessel containing the settling chambers l, 2, 3, 4, which are preferably hopper-bottomed. While l have thus shown and described the whole series of settling chambers as beingbuilt in one tank structure F, I do not desire to confine myself to such construction, it being obvious that the various settling chamberd might be separated if desired. I

Ineach receptacle I prefer to provide inclined bafile plates a which extend across the tank F from side to side. The purpose of these bafiie platesis to increase the area of surface upon'which the sludge may settle,

to reduce the vertical distance through which any given particle of suspended sludge must fall before meeting a contactingsuriace, thereby increasing the working capacity of the separating chambers over the eapacity they would have were the baffle plates omitted.

A, B, C, D, and E are termed .mixing chambers,

their ofiice being to mix the sludge or sediment from one settling chamber with solvent from the settling chamber two removed therefrom. These mixing" chambers are small tanks divided into three compartments B B -and B as shown in Fig. 3. 1 The first compartment B receives the sludge from thebottom of the separating chamber 1, the sludge passing through the pipe 1). The sludge is dipped by means of a mechanical: dipper which will be later described, from v compartment B into compartment B where it mingles with washing or'solvent fiuid that enters through the pipe K being drawn from a point near or at the surface of the liquid in settling chamber 3. The sludge and solvent passdown to the bottom of compartment l? and thence through an'opening 0 into compartment B in which .is mounted a revolving shaft S carrying stirring paddles P. This stirring apparatus thoroughly mixes the sludge and solvent, the mixture bein'gcdeliv'ered through pipe m into the top of settling chaniher 2, where the mixture is settled. I

- Beginning at the left in Fig. 2, fresh wash-water,

' solvent, or other suitable medium for dissolving (ir'titking up the values ,enters the system at e, flows by gravitythrough the mixing apparatus D and the pipe -'rn through successivealternate mixing and settling .ing chamber 2 through pipe K chambers, as shown by arrows, andruns out at f charged with the soluble values which it has taken up from the pulp and sludge during itspassage through the apparatus. Untreated pulp is run into the apparatus'at g, and delivered by means of the dipping mechanism into the middle compartment A of the washer A. Here the pulp mixes with the strongly charged solution which runs into A from the separat- The mixture flows down and intothe agitating compartment A where the pulp and solvent are thoroughly mixed and the pulp'is washed. From A the thin mixture flows through the pipe in into the settling chamber 1', and thence down diagonally as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, and up through the spaces between the baflles (1.

Here the sludge drops out and slides down the'bafile plates into the hopper below. The concentrated solution leaves the sludge on the bafile plates and flows out at f. The sludge which has'been separated and settled in receptacle 1 passes by pipe'p into compartment B of the mixing chamber B. Through the pipe K a less concentrated solution simultaneously passes from settling chamber 3 into compartment B of mixing chamber B of the mixing apparatus. Thorough mixture takes place in B and'the resulting fluid is delivered to receptacle 2 where it settles in the same manner asha's been described for receptacle 1'. In

similar manner settled sludgefrom 2 is washed in O,

resettled in .3, and rewashed in D with fresh solvent,

resettled in 4 and dipped out of the system by the dip- It is thus seen that sludge from the firstsettling chamher is l'repeatedly washed in solvent carrying a constantly decreasing burden of values f, until when discharged from E throughpipe h the sludge is practically free from soluble values. The'fresh solvent let in at e is repeatedly used to wash sludgejn which the soluble values are constantl increasin until .'when the solvent is let out at f it is highly chargedwit h 7 these -;values. I This invention, then, consists in offecting a contrary flow of sludge and solvent through a seriesotmixing andsettling chambers and the consequent productionfof a ,solution concentrated in values, LBy-increasing the number of mixing and sepa-- ratingflunitsin the series, the percentage of soluble values? remaining in the discharged slu dge may be reduced indefinitelykand. the efliciency of extraction maybe raised to a correspondingly high point.

ItwilLb e understood from the foregoing description that the successful operation of this apparatus does not ,diipendto anygreat extent upon the particular formof mechanism by which thesludge is caused to flow from one compartment of the vessel F through the mixer into another compartment during the process of mixing. "Any suitableiorzn of device maybe used for this purpose without departing from the spirit of my invention, but for-the purpose of illustration Ihave showna form of dipping apparatuswhich operates satisfactorily on flocculent precipitates; This dipping apparatus consists inla suitable receptacle or measuring tank N pivotally'mountedat its lower end to an upright 'sup can be dipped into and out of the sludge in port N" capable of vertical movement, so that the tank compartment'of the mixingapparatus. To empty the tank when it is raised to the top of jl ts vso that the tank cannot fill above that'point.

t e first.

travel I provide a suitable trip it preferably comprising a horizontal projection at the lower end of the tank.

which contacts with the under side of a suitable fixed stop 7?. carried by any convenient part of the framework, so as to overbalance the pivotally mounted tank when it reaches the top of its travel.

To permit the tank to retain its vertical position after the liquid has been emptied from it and the support N has assumed its lowermost position, I provide a suitable counterbalance n projecting from the side of-the tank opposite that on which the trip is located. The vertical movement of the tank and the upright-support on which it is mounted may be accomplished by any'suitable and convenient means, one form of which is shown in Fig; 7. I I v I To insure that the'measur'ing tank shall always contain the exact amount of sludge so as .to produce uni iorm flow of sludge, an opening or perforation may be provided at any desired height at the side of the-tank I prefer in practice to secure auniform flow of sludge throughthe entire apparatus by operating all the-various dippers N simultaneously or in rotation, the

former being accomplished by the means illustrated in Fig. 7, where three mixing chambers are shown con-Y nected to the corresponding settling chambers. The dippers are hung on bell-cranks n which are operated by a reciprocating pulling bar N to which they are pivotally connected. A to-and-fro motion of the bar causes an up-aind-down motion oi the dippers f Some materials, such as sands, finely crushed or ground ores,

settlers.

' With'many materials the bafiles aid in producingrapid settlement and separation. V arious forms of battles may be used asdesired. It should also be pointed out that it is not essential to their proper action and the like, will. require special forms of dippers and that the mixture of solvent and sludge be fed into the settling tanks beneath such baffles, as is shown in the preferred form of apparatus illustrated, forsaid mix-. ture may obviously-be delivered, if found desirable", onto their tops jiist as well.

While Ighave shown and described the apparatus organized tosecure the necessary flow of solvent and sludge by dipping-thesludge and permitting the solvent to flowby gravity through the receptacles, .itis evident that the same purpose might be attained by dipping or pumping'both the solvent and sludge, or pumping the'solvent and permitting the sludge to flow by gravity. v v v I wish to call particular attention to the fact that in the claims iollowing this description my choice ofnames for the two constituents of the material which are separated one from the other, involves the use of the. more soluble constituents and the less soluble constituents, and the choice of these names is made advisedly, for the reason that materials which are com- ,monly. classed 'as'. insoluble are regarded by chemists i [as soluble, and are differentiated into classes which are slightly soluble and fvery slightly soluble. This invention is adapted to the separationfof', the

more soluble constituents of a material from its less soluble constituents. As regards-the separation which takes place. in each successive step oi the operation, th fact shouldlbe notedthat neither the fluid nor the so constituents are completely separated. At least, it is notnecessary to the successful operation of the inveu tion that they should be so separated. It is hecessaryonly that the mixture be separated to such an extent that the lower or heavier portion contains a larger percentage of the undissolved or less soluble constituents than does the upper or lighter portion; or, in some cases, that the lower portion contains all the nndis-- ,solved or less soluble constituents and a portion of the more soluble constituents either undissolved or insolu-' tion. In case the less soluble constituents be" lighter than the solvent or washing fluid the uudissolved conmoval'by it. The use of the term :separated is meant to cover all these cases, the eventual result be- I ing governed, first, by the kind of material being treated; secondly, by the number of settling and mixing chambers utilized; and, thirdly, by various changes and modifications which may creep in at times as separate elements to modify the general result, such general result being, as outlined above, the separation of the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained,

change being made as regards theprocess herein dis closed, provided the stepor steps stated by any one .of

' thereof, which consists in simultaneously passing a fluid 4'0 the iollowing claims or the equivalents of such stated step or steps be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claimas my invention:

'1.;'lhe method of separating the moresolubie constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents solvent, and the material in general oppositedirections through a series of mixing and settling chambersg said solvent and material flowing in ajoint currentthrough said mixing chambers and in counter currents through said settling chambers. p

2. The method of separating the more soluble constitu-- cuts of a material from the lcss soluble constituents thereof, which consists in simultaneousiy passing a fluid solvent and the material in general opposite directions through a series of alternate mixing and settling chambers, said soiventyand material flowing in a Joint current through said mixing chambers and in"counter currents through said settling chamber.

The methodof separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in simultaneously passing a fluid solvent in one general direction through a series'of mixing and settling chambers andsimultaneousiy' passing the material continuouslyin the opposite general direction through said chambers, said solvent and material flowingv in a joint current through sald mixlng chambers and in counter currents through said settling chambers.

4. The method of separating the more soluble constitucuts of a .materlai from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in simultaneously'passing a fluid solvent in one general direction jthrough'a series of alternate mixing and settling chambers and simultaneously passing the material continuously in the opposite general direction through said chambers, said solvent and material flowing in a jointcurrent throughsaldmixing chambers and in counter currents through said settling chambers.

5. in a method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, the steps whlch consist in agitating such material then repeating=the cycle, successive mixtures being sep'v arated in' successive settling chambers ,of a series,..the solvent being simultaneously caused to flow in the same andin the opposite direction thereto in the settling steps. 6. In amethod of separating the more soluble constitujents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, the steps which consist, in pumping the material; agitating the same; settling it; and, then repeating the .cycle, said. material being settled in successive chambers of a series, the solvent being continuously and simultane ously nansedto flow in the same direction as said material in the successive agitating steps and allowed to flow by gravity in the opposite direction thereto in the settling steps.

7. In a method of separating the more soluble constituents of. a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, the steps which consist, in pumping the material in one of a series of chambers; agitating the same in a second chamber; settling it in a third chamber: and. then, repeating the cycle, the second agitation and settling being accomplished in otiier chambers of said series, the solvent being simultaneously passed through said agitating chambers in the same direction and in said settling chambers in the opposite direction as saidmaterial. 8. In a method of separating themore soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, the steps which consist, in pumping the material in one of a series of chambers; agitating the same in one of a second'serles of chambers; settling it in another chamber of said first series and, then, repeating the cycle. said material being settled in successive chambers of said first series, the solvent being simultaneously caused to flow through saidagitating chambers in the same direction as said material and'ailowed to now by'gravity in the opposite direction thereto in said settling chambers.

9. In a method of separating the more soluble constituthereof, thesteps which consist in alternately mixing to gether and settling a fluid solvent and the material, said solvent and-material being caused to flow ina joint current in successive mixing steps and in'counter currents in successivesettiing steps. 1

10. In a method of separating the more soluble constituents ore. material from theiess soluble constituents thereof, the steps which consist in causing a fluid solvent to traverse a series of alternate mixing and settling chambers and simultaneously causing the material to traverse said chambers in a. counter direction, whereby the two currents are alternately joined in said mixing chambers and separated by settling in said settling chambers so that a fluid solvent v'vhose percentage ofdissolved values 'is increasing encounters material -\vhosesuc'cessive portlons contain increasing percentages of soluble constitu-' cute. I a

11. In a method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, the steps which consist in alternately mixing said solvent and material being caused to How ina joint current ln said; mixing steps and in counter currents in said settllngxsteps.

12. In,a method of separating the'mor'e soluble constituents ofa material from the-less soluble constituents thereof, the'stepsivhich consistin cansinga fluid solvent to traverse aseries"of aitei-naternixing and settling devices mixing devlcesinhtijoint current and saidsettling chambars in counter, currents, whereby thewwo currents are alternately mixed together.'andpseparated sothat a fluid solvent whose percentage of dissolved values is increasing encounters -rnaterlni whb ri -successive"portions contain increnslng5percefitagerl}of soluhie'con'stltueuts. f

13. The method of separating'the more soluble'constitu cuts of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consistsin independently mixing two quantities-0i such material with a' so'lve'nt, settling such two mixtures, mixing two of theunlike cpnstituents thus separated, and re-set'tling such iast'mixture ents of a materialfrom the less soluble constituentstogether, and settling a fluid soivent and the solid material and simultaneously causing theun'ate'ri'ai tov traverse said with a-solvent; settling outthe undissolved material and, I

direction as said material in the successive. agitating steps.

'thus separated, and re settling such last mixture.

. vent both containing a smaller proportion of soluble values than said first quantities, settling such two mixtures, mixv uents of a material from the less soluble constituents 14. The method of separating the more soluble constitu cuts of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in independently mixing two quantities of such material retaining difierent proportions of soluble values with two quantities of solvent unequally charged with such values, settling such two mixtures, mixing two of the unlike constituents thus re-settling such last mixture.

15. The method of separating the more soluble constitucuts of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in independently mixing two quantities of such material retaining different proportions of soluble values with two quantities of solvent corre spondingly unequally charged with such values, settling such two mixtures, mixing two of the unlike constituents 16. The method of separating the more soluble constituents 01 a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in mixing a quantity of such material with a quantity of solvent, independently mixing a second quantity of material with a second quantity of soling the material remaining from such first mixture with the clarified solvent from such second mixture, and resettling such last mixture. 4

17. The method of separating themore soluble constit thereof, which consists in continuously settling in two separate chambers'currents of the material mixed with a solvent, drawing off from said chambers currents of undissolved material and clarified solvent, mixing currents of unlike constituents from said two chambers, and continuously settling such last mixture in a third chamber.'

13. The method of separating-the more soluble constit uents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in continuously settling in two separate chambers currents made up of quantities of such material retaining different proportions of values mixed with quautitics'ot solvent charged with difierent proportions of such values, drawing off from said chambers currents of undissolvcd material and clarified solvent, mixing currents of unlike constituents from said two chambers, and continuously settling such mixture in a third chamber. v

19. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof. which consists in continuously settling in two separate chanibers'currents made up of quantities of such material, respectively retaining a greater and less proportion of values, mixed with'quantities of solvent relatively similarly charged with such values, drawing off from said chambers currents of undissolved material and clarified solvent, mixing currents of unlike constituents from said two chambers, and continuqusly settling such mixture in a third chamber.

20. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in continuously settling in one chamber a current made up of a quantity of such material mixed with a quantity of solvent, similarly settling in another chamber another current made up of a quantity of material mixed with a quantity of solvent, both of said second quantities containing a smaller proportion of soluble values than said first quantities, drawing 0E from said two chambers currents of undissolved material and clarified solvent, mixing the current of material from said first chamber with the clarified solvent from said second chamher, and continuously settling such last mixture in a third chamber.

21. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in continuously mixing, at consecutive stations in its course. a current of such material with a current of solvent, flowing in a general opposite direction, and thereupon settling the resultant mixtures, the undissolved material remaining from any one station being mixed with the clarified solvent from a station twice removed therefrom.

separated, and V rial and a fluid solvent into opposite ends of a chamber 22. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in causing currents of the material and a solvent to'flow through a series of connected chambers in counter-directions wherein the said material and solvent are alternately mixed together and separated by settling in such manner that-the constituents of a mixture separated in any one chamber shall have been previously separated respectively in the two chambers situated serially on either side of such first-named chamber.

The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in causing currents of the material and a solvent to flow through a serie of connected chambers in counter-directions wherein'tlr said material and solvent are alternately mixed together and separated by settling in such manner that the consti rents of a mixture separated in any one chamber shall ha been previously separated as unlike constituents respec. "ely in the two chambers situated serially on either sin of said firstnamed chamber.

24. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in continuously separating mixtures of the material and a solvent in a series of settling chambers in such manner that the mixture separated in any chamber except the first and last in the series consists of the material and solvent previously separated re spectively in the 'two settling chambers located serially on either side of said first-named chamber.

25. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in continuously mixing the material and a solvent in a series of mixing chambers and separating the mixtures in settling chambers directly related serially thereto in such manner that the two constituents mixed in any mixing chamber except the first and last of ,the series shall have been separated previously as unlike constituents respectively in settling chambers directly re lated respectively to mixing chambers situated serially on either side of the said mixing chambers.

26. The method of separating the'more soluble constituents of a material from the less solubleconstituents thereof, which consists in continuously feeding the mateseries of mixing chambers, each mixing chamber being directly related to .one of a second series of settling chambers; continuously mixing currents of the material and solvent in the mixing chambers and separating the resulting mixture in the respectively related settling chambers in such m anner that the material and solvent separated in a settling chamber-shall have been previously separated as unlike constituents in the two settling chambers located-serially on either side of the said chamber.

27. The method of separating the more soluble constituents of a material from the less soluble constituents thereof, which consists in passing a continuous current of the material into the first one of a series of compound chambers, and a continuous current of a solvent into the last one of the same series, each compound chamber consisting oi'a mixing chamber connected with a settling mixing and Styfllfitillg untreated material with nearly spent solvent in the first compound chamber, mixing and separating nearly treated material and fresh solvent in the last compound chamber; mixing and reseparating in any other compound chamber the unlike portions of material and solvent respectively which have been separated just previously in the compound chambers located serially on either side of the said compound chamber;

drawii ig on continuously from the last of the series treated material solvent.

Signed by me, this 29th day of December, 1906.

THOMAS GRISWOLD, In.

and from the first of'the series spcn'l' Attestcd by- G. L. CAMP, A. N. Px'rnmncmc. 

